Sick days, yeah right.

So I've been a mom for 20 years I'm used to not having sick days, per se.  But there were those times when I would let the laundry and dishes pile up and be sick.  Sometimes a cleaning fairy would have pity on me and some of the chores would get done and sometimes well, it looked like WWIII had hit our house. 

That has really changed since I have become self-employed. Now even when I am sick I can't turn off the feeling that  I need to be working. So today on day two of being under the weather I pushed, I went through a box of Kleenex and I'm pretty sure most of what I worked on will have to be redone.  My lesson learned today, sick days are okay, I'm better taking care of myself and being twice as productive on the good days. I'm going back to my blanket and tea. 😷

I'm ready to work, but...

Yesterday I made the comment that I was going to get ready for the day and work, even with the snow, a self employment benefit.  What was the issue? I forgot to tell my family that. This is not going to be a complain about your family post, I promise. It's a people aren't mind readers and you need to plan post.

There were a lot of little things yesterday, first and most important, because it wasn't a time I was planning to work, I really didn't have it sold in my mind. I didn't change my calendar to show it was work time. Since Emily has moved out Sarah is moving into her room. After almost 13 years of being together (yes I am counting the ineutero) this has been a process. She wanted to work on it, and she wanted Lillian and I to help. I really couldn't give my I have to work speech because, well, I had to own my lack of planning.  

Once there was progress there and I thought I might sneak in for a few hours of work, Todd was in there doing taxes.  I know it's a pet peeve and my issue, but I HATE trying to work when he is in the office. Notice how I say try? We've been married for 20 years this month and NEVER once have I showed up to his job and asked him if he should be doing something a certain way. I know his intentions are good, but I don't need him aking me if that is really the way I need to measure an inseam. That being said, I was the one that hadn't let him know my itinerary so when he heard me upstairs question how many stuffies do tween twins need, he thought the coast was clear.

What I need to own is that I need to communicate with everyone, just for the simple reasons that I need to model being repectful to others to my kids and not expect people to read my mind.  We've really been working on the Golden Rule, three hormonal middle schoolers can be very, very vicious to each other. But, that means I need to follow it also, so maybe just maybe if I had treated others and myself how I wanted to be treated yesterday I could have had some quality work time. 

Today will be crazy, but good. Some alterations and repairs inbetween work and meetings. The kids have a snow day so let's hope the house is still standing and no one is bleeding by the time I get home. Any guesses on how many calls I get while I'm gone? :)

Snow, snow, snow

I live in central Iowa and we are finally having an honest to goodness snow storm. I won't say blizzard because there isn't any wind...yet. We live on the prairie and, without exaggeration, we can get two foot of snow and have bare spots in our yard from the wind. This is a nice, really really thick blanket. Luckily it is a heavy snow and even with the wind expected today, hopefully the drifts stay under 5 feet. 

My struggle on days like today is like most people that work from home. Everyone is home, church, practices and meetings for the day have all been cancelled, I'd really like to just relax and enjoy our forced slow down of life. Except, my office is here, I have stacks of to do's, you know that pile of 'I'll get to it when I have an extra second' and it looks like that extra second is now.

Today is just another example of how those of us that are charting our own course need to strike while the iron in hot.  So, I'm going to go clock in and get this day going, knowing that when I sit down for our Sunday night Family movie, it will feel good to know that my to do stack is smaller than the drifts outside.

Eating My Elephant - Take two...

Well, the last time I made the commitment to blog almost everyday failed miserably.  Thankfully we live in a world of second (and third, and forth, and fifth...)chances. Total Show Image has some exciting things happening, finally, so I feel that it is important to keep the blog up to date as well. 

Right now I want everyone to know that all of our jewelry is at YOLO in State Center.  I will also be there on Thursday's to do fittings. This is really exciting news for us. 

I am now the proud owner of an I-pad and I'm still figuring out, I have a really nice flyer about what is happening at YOLO, and I have no idea how to post it from here. It's okay, that will be my elephant bite for another day.😉

The Halloween debate

I am a seamstress, when I sew (most of the time) it is for other people to make money for, oh silly stuff like food and electricity.  Every year we have the debate about Halloween costumes.  I made the mistake when the three younger girls were little to make them costumes. One year we had a flamingo, Jasmine and witch. I must say they were looking pretty good. AND for the $150 I dropped in fabric and supplies and the 20 hours I spent at my machine they should have.  For a few years now I have made them create something out of the dress up box, (noting that most everything in there was hand made as well).

I do feel pressure as a crafty mom that I need to top that year, then I realize food vs. awesome Halloween costumes, and I have a clear winner.

Now we are to the age where I am questioning do they even need to dress up?  I have been strongly vetoed on this, but there is one issue that no one but me wants to face... Our girls are extremely tall for their age and this summer we got rid of the dress-up box.

I have observed that, like many things Halloween has gotten more and more elaborate and parents a just expected to keep up.  I remember many a year being a Hobo that consisted of my dad's barn clothes and my mom's brown make up.  So I say retro is in!  If you are trick or treating in Nevada, Iowa this year and you see three tall (you know the type,"aren't those kids too old to trick or treat?") hobos walking around you know who they belong to.

I may be a bit bi-polar

When I say this I am not trying to belittle anyone that has this disease.  I'm just trying to find out how my own odd brain works.  Here are some examples:

If I ever win the lottery my barn will look like it came out of the Dover catalog and most of my closet will be filled with Ralph Loren Polo. My favorite equine event, rodeo.

I had the DVR set to record some shows last night, 19 Kids and Counting and Sons of Anarchy.

My office and working space is close to a complete disaster, one of my favorite stores is Staples.

These are just a few examples, I think you can get the idea. I am starting to really notice this about myself.  Am I the only one out there with these traits?  I certainly think not.  So the challenge is, how do I make the two parts of myself play nice together and really become one?  Is it possible?  I'm not sure but I'm sure going to try.

Today's job, the disaster of an office and dinning room and getting some pictures posted to Facebook.

Have a great day!

Eating my elephant!

We have all heard the story about how you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.  Well that is what has not been happening in my world, so I am going to start now.

I haven't blogged in a while and I do feel that it is an important thing for me to do.  I have several reasons:
1. I am pretty positive that I am driving my family crazy with my rambling, so I will drive you all crazy with it.
2. It is important for me to use this medium to share about what I do and who I am, I don't know if I am building a brand around myself or not, but it would be nice to be ready if that happens.
3. I have been struggling with the 'fake it till you make it' vs. authenticity thing lately.  I have decided to go with authentic and I'm really happy about that.  I think that blogging is a good way to keep this real.  For some reason it is easier for me to be my true self on here, and lets face it once I click that 'publish' button it's in the cloud forever.
4. I am using blogging as a step in keeping myself accountable and productive.  I have a great thing going with Total Show Image and my husband is super supportive, but lets face it, creativity doesn't pay the bills, okay it can but not if the ideas are only in my head.
5. I am planning on blogging in the morning between my husband going to work and getting the kids to school. It is going to help me get my day going.

One bite down.....